This marks the second go-round for the Hoover native, who also was on the 2013 list assembled by the business magazine. He's moved up a few spots this year, tied at No. 4 with Scotty McCreery. In 2013, Hicks placed seventh, with estimated income of $2.5 million.

Forbes pinpointed nine alums from the "Idol" universe this week, using earnings of $1 million or more as its benchmark. The list ranges from Carrie Underwood ($10 million) to Kellie Pickler ($1 million).

Reporter Zack O'Malley Greenburg -- who also did the 2013 article -- called Hicks, 38, a surprise candidate, "beating some of 'Idol's' better-known names."

Once again, Greenberg cites Hicks' Las Vegas residency as a key factor, as along with his income from Saw's Juke Joint in Birmingham. Hicks is a partner in the restaurant, 1115 Dunston Ave.

"It's always good to come to the party first, in all different aspects, whether it be television or film or a Vegas residency," Hicks told Forbes. ""I think this is just one of those instances where the opportunity to be the first Idol to have a Vegas show was a perfect fit."

Estimates were calculated "with the help of data from Pollstar, the RIAA and Nielsen SoundScan as well as industry veterans, the musicians' handlers and some of the artists themselves," the article says. "These numbers reflect pretax earnings from June 2013 through June 2014."

Here's the full list from Forbes, followed by last year's income estimates:

Katharine McPhee and Jennifer Hudson, both $1 million earners on Forbes' 2013 list, did not make the cut this year.